TRAVEL GUIDES — SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Southern California Travel Guides: Scenic Drives, Luxury Hotels & Dining, City by City
Updated July 2026 · Hotels, dining, scenic drives & rentals · 5 min read
A suite above the coast in La Jolla. A tasting menu in the Arts District. Rodeo Drive on Saturday, a scenic drive up the canyon on Sunday. Planning a luxury trip to Southern California? This is your travel guide, city by city — where to stay, where to dine, what to do, and the best scenic drives to link it all together. Not generic travel guides: built for people who travel well, with the drive as the icing on the cake for whoever loves getting behind the wheel.
Five Southern California cities, one standard. Every guide covers the same ground — where to stay, where to dine, and what makes the city worth the trip, then the best roads to drive and the right ride to enjoy them in, from exotics and supercars to luxury sedans and SUVs. Built for people who love the destination as much as the drive.
In This Guide
The Guides: Our Southern California City Travel Guides
The deepest bench in Southern California — the most to see, stay in, and eat your way through, all in one city. Base yourself at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, the design-forward Hotel Per LA in a restored 1920s bank downtown, or the Ace Hotel with its rooftop pool over Broadway, and fill the days with Bestia and Bavel in the Arts District, Providence on Melrose, Rodeo Drive, and the beaches. It’s a week’s worth of weekend. And for whoever came to drive, LA is the epicenter — Mulholland’s switchbacks and the 66-mile climb up Angeles Crest are the icing on the cake.
The name that needs no introduction — Rodeo Drive, palm-lined streets, and the densest cluster of five-star hotels in the country. Book the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset, the Peninsula on Little Santa Monica, or the Maybourne, and make a weekend of Rodeo Drive and tables like Spago, Mr Chow, and the Polo Lounge — the porte-cochère is part of the show, and pulling up in something special means you’ve already made the entrance. And when the driver wants a canyon morning, nine of the country’s most storied roads start within an hour, from Mulholland to the coastal sweep of PCH.
Harborfront California at its most polished — beaches, yachts, and Fashion Island shopping all within a few minutes of each other. Stay at the Resort at Pelican Hill above Crystal Cove or Balboa Bay Resort on the water, wander the harbor, and book tables at the Ranch, Mastro’s Ocean Club, or Nobu — here a five-star room comes with an ocean view as standard. It’s a soft-landing luxury weekend. And for the one who lives for the drive, Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Coast Drive, and the Ortega all start minutes from the harbor — reason enough to pull the top back.
The easygoing end of the SoCal spectrum — coastal, unhurried, and quietly high-end. Base yourself at La Valencia in La Jolla, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, or Hotel del Coronado on the sand, and fill the days with Addison’s tasting menu, George’s at the Cove, and the beaches in between. Then, when you want the car to earn its keep, the driving’s right there: Torrey Pines along the coast, Palomar Mountain and Sunrise Highway into the hills — a weekend behind the wheel without the big-city friction.
A design-lover’s desert resort town where the whole point is to slow down. Check into the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage on its bluff above the valley, the ultra-private Sensei Porcupine Creek with its Nobu dining, or the Parker behind its famous hedges; spend the days by pools built for the heat, along El Paseo’s shops, and at tables like Le Vallauris under the ficus trees and Workshop Kitchen + Bar. Three-hundred-plus days of sun make it effortless. And when the driver in the group wants the top down, Highway 74 — the Palms to Pines — climbs from the valley floor into the pines of Idyllwild, with Joshua Tree an hour out.
More Destinations on the Way
Same verified, enthusiast-built approach — more Southern California destinations on the way. New guides drop as we finish them.
Headed somewhere we haven’t covered yet? Contact us and tell us where you’re going.
Going for the Car Culture?
Some trips are about the destination; others are about the meet. If you’re chasing Southern California’s car scene — the weekly Cars & Coffee gatherings, the concours, the marquee shows — start with our events hub instead.
The Car Makes the Trip
Every one of these cities is a great weekend on its own — and better behind the wheel of something special. Attending is one thing; arriving in a Lamborghini is another. We maintain a directory of top-rated, trusted exotic, supercar, luxury, and SUV rental companies across Southern California. Browse by area, brand, or type.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best scenic drives in Southern California?
The classics span the region: Angeles Crest and Mulholland above LA, Palomar Mountain and Sunrise Highway around San Diego, Highway 74 (Palms to Pines) out of Palm Springs, and the Ortega and Newport Coast Drive in Orange County — with Pacific Coast Highway tying much of it together. Each city guide breaks down its best scenic drives in detail.
Which Southern California city is best for a luxury weekend?
It depends on the trip. Beverly Hills and LA for icon status and the deepest hotel-and-dining scene; San Diego for laid-back coastal luxury; Palm Springs for a design-forward desert resort weekend; Newport Beach for harborfront polish. Each guide lays out the case so you can match the city to the weekend you want.
What's included in each travel guide?
Four things, every time: where to stay, where to dine, what makes the city worth the trip, and the best scenic drives — plus the right exotic, supercar, luxury, or SUV rental to enjoy them in. They’re built by people who love the destination as much as the drive.
Do I need to be into cars to enjoy these guides?
Not at all. Every guide works as a straight luxury travel guide — the hotels, the dining, the experiences. The driving is there for whoever wants it, the icing on the cake rather than the whole cake.
Can I rent an exotic or luxury car for a Southern California trip?
Yes. Each guide includes vetted local rental operators — Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, Porsches, Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, and luxury SUVs — with delivery and pickup across the city. You can browse our full Southern California rentals directory by area, brand, or type.
